Rainbow Cake

This is really cute for birthday cakes and cupcakes.

2 boxes white cake mix
24 oz of clear diet soda (2 cans, ginger ale and sprite work well)
gel food colouring
16 oz whipped topping
2 oz instant fat-free sugar-free pudding mix (2 smallish boxes)

The Dieting
Mix the cake mix with the soda according to regular instructions on box. It will be lumpy afterward. Again, you can use any white cake recipe you want, this is just how I do it.

The Rainbowing
Measure the total volume (by my estimate, 64 oz), then divide by 6 and measure into separate bowls. There are 8 oz in a cup, so 64/6 = 10 to 11 oz, or 1 cup + 2 tbsp.

Stir colour into each bowl with its own spoon. For the first colour into the pan, measure out 2/3 to 3/4 of your mix (in this case about 1 c) as close to the middle as you can. Drop in your first three colours, then work on the other pan with the last three colours. So if you’re doing rainbow order, the first pan should have red, then orange, then yellow, and now the purple, blue and green go into the second pan. As a recap, this is so both layers are roughly the same size.

Bake the cake for however long the box tells you to bake it. Check it when the box says to, but usually it’ll need an extra 5 or 10 minutes or maybe more because of the density of the soda method. Just keep baking, checking back every 5 minutes or so until a toothpick to the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before moving to a wire rack.

Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cake

Paula Deen's Grandmother Paul's Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Cake:
2 cups sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar

Icing:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup melted marshmallows
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Cake: Preheat Oven 350

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

Icing:
Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl. Add marshmallows and sugar and blend. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Note: The only change I make is the coconut in the icing.

Strawberry Pop Cake

This is the recipe my Mom chose for her birthday when she was little. I will be making it this week for my Mom's birthday.

Cream 3/4 cup shortening with 2 cups sugar
Add in separate bowl:
1-7 oz. bottle strawberry pop
alternate with:
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat everything together. Fold in 5 stiffly beaten egg whites
Bake 2 layers at 350 degrees. Time unknown - use toothpick test.

Grandma S

FAITH'S COCA-COLA CAKE

Faith Hill's Coca-Cola Cake

Makes: 12 servings
Hands-on time: 25 min.
Total time: 60 min.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup cola soft drink
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ cups miniature marshmallows
Chocolate Coca-Cola Icing
Garnish: Toasted chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine flour and sugar in large mixing bowl.

3. Combine butter, cocoa and cola in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat; pour over flour mixture. Add buttermilk, baking soda, eggs and vanilla, whisking until blended. Stir in marshmallows. (Batter will be thin and marshmallows will float to the top.)

4. Pour batter into lightly greased and floured 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake 30 to 35 min. or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 15 min. Spread Chocolate Coca-Cola Icing over warm cake. Garnish with toasted chopped pecans, if desired.

CHOCOLATE COCA-COLA ICING

½ cup butter
3 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons cola soft drink
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar, sifted

Combine first three ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces water
2 ounces of red dye/food coloring
1 cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or a little touch more for flavour)
1 teaspoon white vinegar (make sure it’s just 1 teaspoon!)
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare cupcake tins as directed in this recipe – mini muffin tray or regular muffin tray fine.

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

3. Add eggs and blend well.

4. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring and add to the butter mixture.

5. Sift flour and salt together into this mixture.

6. One at a time, add the following ingredients: buttermilk, vanilla, and water.

7. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Fold it into the cake batter. Make sure it’s incorporated, but don’t beat it.

8. Pour the batter into the cupcake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched.

9. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the cupcakes out of the tins and onto a rack to finish cooling completely.

Frosting…

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Milky Way Cake

2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk
5 egg whites
4 Milky Way candy bars (2 oz size)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans. Sift cake flour and combine with baking powder, and salt. Set mixture aside. With and electric mixer, beat shortening, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to the shortening mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into flour mixture then fold in chopped candy bars. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove from pans. Drizzle with melted caramel if desired.

Simplicity Chocolate Cake

This is a fool-proof 'single bowl' recipe. 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 cup self raising flour (or substitute 1 cup of plain flour and 1 tsp of baking powder)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond essence

Method

1. Melt the butter.
2. Put all the other ingredients into a large bowl and pour melted butter on top
3. Beat on high for 3 minutes
4. Pour all the mixture into a greased cake tin and bake in a moderate oven.
5. Cook until a toothpick comes out clean (this will depend on your oven and the size of the tin). be careful not to over cook as it is best a little moist. 
   

Frosting

Mix cocoa and confectioners sugar with some softened butter. Add hot water very slowly and mix to the desired consistency. Let the cake cool a little before putting on the icing.